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Topic: Ramaswami Pillai day - 14.01.2014. (Read 1632 times)

Today is the day of Ramaswami Pillai (1895-1995). He was a long time associate of Sri Ramana.

He writes:

I first saw Sri Bhagavan when I was studying in school. Reclining on the couch, He looked indescribably majestic. Sincethen He has been God to me in human form. I did not ask for anything. He turned on me that look of heart melting gracethat He so often bestows on new comers. I felt filled with to the brim just by seeing Him.

Miracles did take place in the presence of Sri Bhagavan. Strangely people like me, very close to Him, never cared to noticeanything 'happening', as we were all all so thoroughly absorbed in Him, in His Presence. I am able to recollect a 'miracle'that took place. A person from a town near Tiruvannamalai lost his eyesight owing to small pox or severe fever. He wasadvised that if he went to Sri Ramanasramam, the Maharshi would giver him back his eyesight. He arrived at the Hall andinquiring his way.

a few days earlier, two young doctors had arrived for darshan of Bhagavan. They were totally captivated by Him. Theywere to take leave of Bhagavan before going back to Madras. They came to the Hall, prostrated and went up top theircar, when they had an urge to have one more glimpse of Bhagavan. Meanwhile, the blind man had entered the Halland was praying to Bhagavan that his eyesight by somehow restored by His Grace. Bhagavan was listening to everything,but kept absolutely silent. The doctors who witnessed this, voluntarily took the blind man in their car to Madras and treatedhim.

After some months, I saw a man prostrating to Bhagavan with deep and sincere gratitude for having restored his eyesight.Bhagavan listened to him unmoved, as if He had nothing to do with it. This was the natural way He performed miracles.

The other miracle occurred when Bhagavan was staying at the Skandasramam. In those days, He was taking only one meal aday. In the evening a disciple got rice and coconut as bhiksha. Bhagavan told us to make a gruel by grinding the rice and coconut,and add sugar to it. But there was no sugar at the Asramam. Even salt, which Bhagavan suggested as an alternative, wasnot found.

At about 9.00 pm. there was a knock at the Asramam's door which was opened by me. To our great surprise, we say twoyoung men, who had braved through the drizzling rain and darkness, with a packet of sugar candy and a bunch of bananas.Bhagavan jokingly said, 'Aye! Sugar candy has come with bananas to supplement.' The sugar candy was powdered and dulymixed with gruel.

Bhagavan asked the visitors how it was that they had to come at that time. One of them replied, 'Bhagavan, it was my good fortuneto have read three articles by Mr. Humphreys, published in the International Psychic Gazette. Ever since, it has been my greatestambition to see Bhagavan and have His darshan. Somehow it is only today that we had the opportunity. As college studentsat Coimbatore we came for an excursion here and are going back tomorrow morning. Not willing to lose this god-sent opportunity,we came here not minding rain or darkness. We shall never for get this most remarkable meeting.'

One day, when Ramaswami Pillai entered the Hall, discussion was going on as to whom was the greater of the two. Siva orSakti. Bhagavan, as usual sat in silence, with a look of amusement. The trend of the talk was that without Sakti, Siva couldnot do anything and this argument looked infallible. Ramaswami Pillai joined the fray and said, 'Yes, yes! 'He' is contained in'She'! The Sakti party became jubilant. 'But', interrupted Pillai: He can be independent and be without She. But She cannotbe without He! The Siva-party looked triumphant. Bhagavan laughed till tears came to His eyes., He enjoyed the spelling gamethoroughly!

Bhagavan could turn the most mundane event into an opportunity for spiritual instruction. Once, for example, Ramaswami Pillai was searching for a key that he had lost. After sometime, he came into the Hall, and told Bhagavan about the missing key,who told him, 'The key is where it always was. It is not lost. Only your memory is lost. Atman (the Self) is always there, but due to ajnana (ignorance) we spend our time searching for it.'